O Lord...

...won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?

I was ready to get on board my motorcycle at a local hardware store when I heard the big crunch yesterday. Looks like a fancy M-B hit a passing Honda Accord while maneuvering around the parking lot. Since I did not witness the collision as it happened, I would not have been able to offer much help.

I could offer my opinion however. The M-B appeared to have pulled out of its parking spot by moving forward between two concrete blocks (angled parking, in opposing directions). Since other cars were parked in adjacent spots, one has to proceed cautiously due to limited visibility. Actually, the proper way to exit the parking spot is to pull out in reverse, all the while making sure it is clear behind you (but I too am guilty of pulling forward across the parking spots). The Honda clearly had the right of way and could not have seen the M-B dashing out between parked cars.

What was the M-B driver thinking? What's the excuse, "I didn't see the Honda"?

That was the excuse used by a 24-yr old woman over a week ago when she pulled out of a driveway onto a large 4-laned street (posted 40mph). The newspaper article wasn't clear whether a 30-yr old motorcyclist on his way to work either hit her, or was hit by her. Either way, he's dead. Moreover, she killed him while behind the wheel with a suspended license, and as far as one friend is concerned, that should be considered premeditation.

My observation is that the drivers do not bother to look, and is why they "didn't see" the other vehicle. There's also preoccupation with things other than driving (eating, cellphone conversation, others in the vehicle, etc.). I would really like to know if the M-B driver was busy yakking on the cellphone... I'd almost bet money on it.

For all the money people (who can) spend on fine German wheels, the M-B did not fare well in the collision. About two-thirds of the front grill on the left side was crushed in by at least a foot. The Honda's right front corner ate it, but I think it won out in the mishap. I'm guessing that the M-B driver has deep pockets, since it couldn't be cheap to put everything back all nice and pretty.

At least noone died in this one.

What I Watch

(still airing)
24
Chuck
Cold Case
Criminal Minds
CSI
CSI: Miami
Dead Zone
Family Guy
Heroes
House
Law & Order (franchise)
Simpsons
South Park
Supernatural
Terminator: SCC
Two and a Half Men

Daffodil Hill

Daffodil Hill is a popular weekend excursion during the Spring season. I decided to check out the website to see when it officially opened this year, since my ride today took me near this general vicinity where many homes' yards had daffodils that were beginning to bloom.

We have a possibility of showers coming mid-week, so I am hoping that the rain will not take it all away before I have a chance for a camera-toting visit next weekend. Daffodil Hill may become a bit crowded for my liking, but there's also the small town of Volcano nearby that has a down-scaled version of the Hill.

I spend too much time in the (motorcycle) saddle and need to make the effort to park it and hoof it with camera in hand. It's time I stopped and smelled the daffodils.

Citrus Colas

I was having lunch with Mike on Saturday and we both opted for Diet Pepsi to wash down our food. The restaurant did not carry the Coca-Cola brand, but Pepsi was Mike's preference anyway (either is okay with me). Seems he drinks almost as much of the stuff as I do, making mention that he particular liked the Diet Pepsi w/Lemon that was once available. Alas, the lemon-flavored variation of both major cola brands disappeared, and we hypothesized that it was due to poor consumer demand. I liked it, but when the lime flavored variation came out, that (eventually) became my first preference and can still be found on the grocery store shelves.

Over half a dozen years ago I visited the Coca-Cola factory in Atlanta, Georgia and checked out their world flavors exhibit (on the 2nd floor?). I sampled many, but not all of the 100+ that were marketed, and I will tell you this: lemon's got a lot of them beat. Go figure.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the lime versions will be around for quite awhile.

Thinking

I logged about 150 miles of riding on Good Friday. On Saturday I decided to head up to Chico to visit my compadres at Ozzie's BMW (where I have my bikes serviced). Then this morning I added another 120 miles or so; kind of a spur of the moment decision. It was either that or ride locally to breakfast.

I seem to get my best thinking done while under a helmet and on the open road. Thing is, not all these thoughts are retained afterwards... sometimes more, sometimes less. Perhaps I need to rig up some recording device that will capture them before they dissipate altogether.

There's another place where I get a lot of thinking done, but we won't go there.

2001

A space odyssey... or did I mention how time flies?

I was just going through some mail and found a flyer for Sprint cellular; seems that I have been a loyal Sprint subscriber since the summer of 2001. Wow. And did I also mention that I am not much of a cellphone fan (or any phone for that matter)? They come in handy when need be, but to spend hours on end attached to these contraptions is... uh... maybe I should shut up now, since I engage in indulgences that others may frown upon. The time I spend surfing the internet comes to mind. Also my incessant need to go riding (or I could claim that it's just an excuse to satisfy my leather urges).

That year marked the beginning of the new millenium, made famous through the entertainment efforts of writer Arthur C. Clarke and director Stanley Kubrick. Many of us were still smarting from the year before when the world was supposedly coming to an end (as slaves to technology and being ill-prepared for what happens when computers get past year 1999). Prince had us all partying in 1999! Since we were all lucky to be around in 2000, I joined a couple of my friends vacationing in Puerto Vallarta on Halloween.

However, 2001 was marred by the tragedy of 9/11 when terrorism took its toll on American soil. Nothing was quite the same after that.

September 2001 was my 10th anniversary of home ownership. The end of that month I took a road trip, motorcycling down to Las Vegas, Nevada to view the Guggenheim Museum's "Art of the Motorcycle" exhibit. Just before Thanksgiving I flew out to Atlanta, Georgia courtesy of my friend's frequent flyer miles on Delta Airlines. Little did we know that that would be the day they shut down the airport due to an innocent security breach... our world became a little less innocent. I missed out on the Leonid meteor storm while visiting because 4:00am was better left to catching z's than falling stars.

It seemed like only yesterday. Tempus fugit.

Winter's End

There's less than a week of Winter remaining (the vernal equinox arriving on March 20th, marking the first day of Spring). After a brief warm spell, the past couple of days have gotten cooler that seemed especially more so because of the wind. Didn't quite make 60 degrees.

That'll change with 70 degrees forecast for the first part of the upcoming work week, dropping to the upper 60s and clouds for the season's end.

Kings v Suns

I'm kicking back this evening watching the televised game between our NBA team versus the Phoenix Suns. It was mostly a Saturday to wind down from a trip to Los Angeles (last Tuesday afternoon, coming home yesterday evening). I lived in the Phoenix area for a couple of years before coming out to Sacramento, so it is an interesting coincidence watching this basketball matchup.

I'm ready for supper (and so are my boys). Half-time is about another half hour away.

YouBoob

I picked up some chatter about a popular YouTube contributor (Magibon) and decided to take a look-see. Here you have this young Japanese girl doing and saying mostly nothing into the camera. Staring into it yes, along with a few body gestures. There is an occasional dialogue in Japanese (I assume, as I do not speak any Japanese). Her profile says she's 21 years old; she appears to be pre-teen, albeit a pre-teen with a healthy rack. She is getting a sh*tload of viewer hits, but why?

There is no shortage of opinions in the comments that these videos generate:

She is a pedophile magnet. In need of braces, badly. A no-talent who is taking advantage of just acting cute in front of the camera. Faking her Japanese accent. She has a moustache. Her eyes and voice are weird. Many believe she is either half-Japanese, or not Japanese at all.

I especially find the reference to her ancestry a bit amusing. There are stereotypes as to what Japanese (and all Asians) are supposed to look like. Comments also suggest that she looks half-Japanese and half-American. Say wha? In this big melting pot of a country we call America, how do you physically describe an American? I am an American, much to the chagrin of those who may have a latent Aryan bent.

I should not be surprised that there is a large populace of mean and ignorant boobs on YouTube, and in cyberspace in general. Why should it be any different than in real life?

15

Caesar (and his wannabes), beware!

Pi Delta Pi

That's my Pi!

Pi Day

Today we celebrate Pi Day! I have this value memorized only out to 8 decimal places... 3.14159265; this is more than plenty enough for me, since I'll invariably resort to a simple calculator if I really need to calculate anything which requires pi.

Why pi?

Well, foremost in my mind is calculating the area or circumference of a circle, which came in handy a couple of months ago. I needed to measure the diameter of the handlebars on my motorcycle, but since both ends were enclosed by rubber handlebar grips, I was unable to measure a cross-section of the metal tube. I wrapped a cloth tape measure around the bar instead (the circumference) and divided this by pi, which gave me the diameter. Pretty geeky I know, but I did end up buying the proper size GPS mount.

No, really, it doesn't take an Einstein... who coincidentally was born on this day.

Happy Birthday Albert!

Grammarphobia

I'm surfing, and happened to run across this website.

Don't ask why I surf for what I surf (I'm kinda strange that way). I am somewhat relieved to see that it's okay to lighten up a bit with the English language. Who knew it wouldn't be a cardinal sin for me to end a sentence with a preposition, and that the sun will still rise the next morning?

Whew!

Nature

While riding in the Sierra foothills today, I witnessed what appeared to be a small coyote running across the road before me and up the steep hill embankment to my right. Many miles later I came upon a couple of wild turkeys strutting along without a care... had to slow down for these turkeys. With temps hovering around the upper 60s, flora have begun to bloom in yellows, pinks, purples and orange. We have cherry blossoms, daffodils, lupines and poppies. Hawks overhead were floating effortlessly from the thermals generated by the warming earth. A road I haven't taken since over half a lifetime ago presented a landscape dotted with grazing cattle and sheep. And oaks. Throw in a few horses too. Raising the visor of my helmet exposed my face to the brisk, cool mountain air which I found quite stimulating. All the while Bob Dylan tunes were dancing in my head, which was probably due to having listened to some of his songs at work yesterday. Today, even some man-made elements -- metal roofing in pastel greens and deep blues, a half dozen or more Mini Coopers on a club outing, a small aircraft (perhaps a glider?) -- seemed to complement rather than clash with the scenario.

Soak up and enjoy nature while you can, before they bulldoze, concrete and pave over everything. This is paradise.

Flies

It's what time does best... tempus fugit. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

I will be attending a convention near LAX, which will be hosted at three venues within close proximity of one another. It seems like only yesterday when I was down in Los Angeles last year for this annual event.

My boys will be turning 10 on March 22nd!

It's been going on 6 years since I first registered my website domain, and not long after its launch when I first received my regular visitor and cyberfriend Steph.

For me, music serves as my time machine (as it probably does for many others). Catch a period tune and you'll most likely catch yourself reminiscing about life during that period. For better... for worse. One example I can cite is Supertramp's "Goodbye Stranger", which takes me back to the apartment community where I first lived upon my arrival to Sacramento (waaay back when).

Another time machine is the death of friends, acquaintances and loved ones. I learned recently that my friend Duane left this world just before Halloween last year; he took ill from an abused liver years ago. We belonged to a small group of friends whose interest was mostly automotive. Jack Fields (who left us last December) was an acquaintance through fellow BMW motorcyclists I've ridden with in the past. I never rode with Jack, but I am reminded about several of the rides with the others at that time.

Looking back, I sometimes wonder where all that time went. Time flies.

Got Gas?

Well, the earlier news about gas prices possibly hitting $4.00 per gallon this summer was a bit premature. The latest word is that it will probably hit us by springtime, if it hasn't hit already. Note the prices at this gas station in San Mateo, CA this past weekend... it's not like any big surprise. The history books will tell you that the writing was on the wall back in the mid-70s, and not a whole lotta dinosaurs have died recently.